Parent Information

All parents and carers are encouraged and welcome into school.

All staff are pleased to share their thoughts and feelings about the way the children are developing with parents and carers.

The school encourages parents to take part in everyday school life wherever possible as this support and involvement enhances the learning process. If you would like more information, please speak to your child’s class teacher or contact the school office.

We keep parents and carers informed on a regular basis through Class Dojo and its messenger, My Child At School (MCAS), Twitter and daily conversations at the beginning or end of the day. If you wish to arrange a meeting with a class teacher, please speak to them or arrange via our school office.

We inform you about how well your child is doing at school through 3 termly reports. Also, we have alternate parent evenings which is a key opportunity to discuss your child’s progress and future targets. Parents of children with SEN&D or specific learning needs will be offered opportunities to discuss the child’s Individual Education Plan and their targets.

Home-School Agreement

We provide all parents with a copy of the Home-School Agreement, and we hope they will endorse its contents by signing a copy and returning it to school.

This also reflects our school values.

Aspiration - Always aiming high
Ambition - Being the best we can
Courage - Nothing holds us back
Respect - Always leading by example

Homework

Our approach to homework is based upon a positive partnership between home and school, enabling the child to make links between learning at home and at school.

Our school’s homework is designed to allow the children's curiosity, towards their learning, to thrive. It offers a range of activities linked to the curriculum and allows the children to build their understanding and skills in a range of curriculum areas.

The tasks are linked to recent learning in school to both consolidate and extend the children’s learning, while there are some additional activities which should build increasing interest and give the children opportunities to discover or show interests.

Each week, every year group will have a range of Basic Skills to complete for their homework, including phonics sounds (where appropriate), number bonds (where appropriate), multiplication tables, spelling and handwriting.

View Homework and Curriculum Newsletters

Reading at Home

We encourage parents of children across all ages of the school to read regularly with their child, this should be recorded in their reading records and returned to school.

At Briar Hill Primary School, we believe that reading is the key to children’s success in school and beyond. Reading in school and at home 5 times per week will help to improve your child’s fluency and comprehension skills. As part of this, we have our ‘Reading Rocks’ initiative.
Each day children’s home school reading diary is checked for signatures to confirm that reading has taken place at home. When a child reads at home 5 times and has 5 signatures to confirm this, they will then receive a ‘Reading Rocks’ certificate and one of our ‘Golden Tickets’. At the end of each term the children will be able to use their golden tickets at our reading shop – ‘Briarstones’. It is here that they will be able to exchange their tickets for items at the reading shop. Items include stationary and reading books. Each item is worth a different amount of tokens depending on its worth. The more tickets a child earns during the term, the better the item they can purchase.

For more help on reading with your child, please visit:

www.booktrust.org.uk

literacytrust.org.uk

Contact Details and Medical information

It is vital that your contact details and medical information (including Doctors name/surgery) are kept up to date. If any of your contact details change, please inform us as soon as possible by contacting the school office.

Safeguarding

Briar Hill Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people. Providing a safe environment for all our students, staff and visitors is at the upmost importance to us.

Our Safeguarding Team

Miss Cooksley

Designated Safeguarding Lead/Headteacher

Miss Cooksley

JCooksley@briarhillprimary.co.uk
Mrs Marshall

Deputy Safeguarding Lead/Assistant SENCo

Mrs Marshall

JMarshall@briarhillprimary.co.uk
Miss Bay Cameron-Leslie

Deputy Safeguarding Lead/Attendance and Welfare

Miss Bay Cameron-Leslie

BCameronLeslie@briarhillprimary.co.uk

Safeguarding Information

We are committed to safeguarding and meeting the needs of all our pupils. This provides some useful advice and information when working with our pupils.

What are your responsibilities as a visitor to our school?

All those who come into contact with the pupils have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of the children.

Supply teachers/students will be child protection trained on arrival to site before they begin work. They will be aware of possible signs and indicators of abuse and will bring their concerns immediately to a DSL or DDSL.

School age students and other volunteers will not have received child protection training and MUST NEVER be left alone with a child/children at any point; a CP trained member of staff should always be in sight/hearing of a student/volunteer.

DBS Checks

Briar Hill Primary requires all adults who work in a regulated activity to be checked through the Disclosure and Barring Service.

If you are volunteering we will ask you to complete various forms and provide photo I.D. not only to verify your identity, but to provide contact details.

You are required to inform the head immediately if you become subject to any criminal investigation.

You must also declare if you are living with someone who has committed an offence against children. Debarring by Association. Everyone in our school is asked to make this declaration as they come into contact with under 8’s.

What you should do if you are worried about a child?

Whilst working with a child, if you become worried about:

Comments made by a child
Marks or bruising on a child
Changes in a child’s behaviour or de-meaner
Disclosures of any nature that may indicate risk of harm to a child
You must report these concerns to one of these people in the listed order

1. Mrs Marshall– Designated Safeguarding Lead/Assistant SENCo
2. Miss Cooksley– Deputy Safeguarding Lead/ Headteacher
3. Miss Bay Cameron-Leslie Deputy Safeguarding Lead/ Attendance and Welfare

If a child makes a disclosure to you

Listen, allow the child to talk freely.
Reassure but DON’T promise anything.
DO NOT promise confidentiality.
DO NOT interrogate, do not ask them to write it down.
Reassure them that it was right to talk.

What if a child expresses concern about a staff member?

If a child is to do this it must be reported to the head, if it is about the head it must be reported to the Chair of the Academy Scrutiny Committee.

Appropriate Behaviour

As a visitor or volunteer you may well work closely with pupils. We need to have mutual trust and respect.
You should not engage in physical contact with the children if they instigate this it should be reported to class teacher.
Do not photograph/record the pupils and do not have you mobile phone or camera out whilst on site. Do not exchange numbers or engage on social media with any pupils.

Confidentiality

It is expected of everybody in school not to discuss anything they hear or see on site with anybody else.

Local Safeguarding Authority

Northampton Safeguarding Children Partnership c/o Northamptonshire County Council One Angel Square 4 Angel Street Northampton NN1 1ED

Phone number 01604 364036 Email: nscp@northamptonshire.gov.uk

E-Safety

CEOP helps any child or young person under the age of 18 who is being pressured, forced or tricked into taking part in an activity of any kind. This can be something that has taken place either online or in ‘the real world’, or both. The CEOP Safety Centre has clear information and advice on what can be reported to CEOP, the reporting process and what will happen if you do decide to make a report. You can visit the CEOP Safety Centre and make a report directly to CEOP by clicking the Click CEOP button.

If you are experiencing online bullying or something else online has worried you please speak to an adult you trust, or you can talk to Childline at any time on 0800 1111 or at www.childline.org.uk.

CEOP is a command of the National Crime Agency and is dedicated to tackling the sexual abuse and exploitation of children and young people. CEOP helps children and young people under the age of 18 who have been forced or manipulated into taking part, or are being pressured to take part, in sexual activity of any kind. This can be both online and offline. The CEOP Safety Centre offers information and advice for children and young people, parents and carers and professionals. You can visit the CEOP Safety Centre and make a report directly to CEOP by clicking the Click CEOP button.

Online bullying or other online concerns should not be reported to CEOP and children and young people should be directed to speak to an adult they trust, and/or referred to Childline, if they would like to speak to someone about how they are feeling.